The Parents Make The Man
by whumpqueen
Summary: Wes never talks about his parents, what if they were worse than we can imagine. When the truth comes out how will it affect his relationship with Travis. Warning mentions child abuse. Travis/Wes sexiness. Slashy goodness. If it's not your thing, don't read. Rated for saftey. Disclaimer: I do not own Common Law. PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW.


Wes' heart sank when Dr. Ryan announced the topic of the session. _Why couldn't it be something else, anything else_? He wanted so badly to just bolt from the room but that would raise more questions and he wasn't willing to give any answers especially not with Travis there, Travis would hate him if he found out. He couldn't take it if Travis hated him.

"Parents, they have a big effect on who we are by how they raise us and the example they set in their relationship." Dr. Ryan announced, "So today we are going to go around the circle and tell how your parents have made you into the person you are today. Travis, you can tell us which foster parents affected you the most." Travis had been halfway through raising his hand as she said the last part.

Wes sat half listening to the stories of the other group members as he prayed that his phone would ring and they would have to leave for a case. He continually looked at his watch to check the time but they still had twenty minutes left and it was his turn.

"Wes, it's your turn. Tell us about your parents." Dr. Ryan said encouragingly.

"I'd rather not," was Wes' curt reply.

No one was surprised by Wes' refusal to speak, he never really shared anything in therapy but Dr. Ryan saw the way his lips grew tight and his fist clenched. "Wes, is there any particular reason you wish not to share?" Dr. Ryan questioned, her curiosity aroused.

Wes answered with a sharp, "No."

He was harsher than he intended to be and that drew the attention of his partner. "Wes, man, come on. It can't be that bad. Let me guess, they were embarrassing parents weren't they. I bet your mom drove you to school every day and gave you a kiss on the cheek." Travis joked lightly, trying to get him to open up and the circle laughed covering up Wes' whispered "I wish."

Dr. Ryan saw him say something though and quickly asked, "What was that Wes?"

No one else had realized he said anything and all heads turned to Wes questioningly. Wes' fist clenched tighter, his knuckles growing white, but he kept silent. That made the group even more curious and they started to badger him, with Travis leading the way.

Dr. Ryan decided to give Wes a break and was about to have them move on to Travis when Wes exploded out of his chair and yelled, "I said I wish, I wish that my mom cared enough about me to drive me to school or even just enough to see me as something other than a way for her and my father to have fun and pay for their drug habit!" Wes suddenly realized what he had said and clamped a hand over his mouth and sat down.

Everyone was stunned into silence. Travis was the first to speak and said, "Wes, what do you mean? What are you saying man?" Travis was a good detective and he understood what Wes had said, and what he hadn't but he was praying harder than he ever had that he was wrong and that Wes didn't mean it the way it sounded. He didn't want to think that he had missed something that big in Wes' life.

Wes knew there was no way he could go back on what he said or say he didn't mean it like it sounded, Travis would know he was lying, Travis always knew. So he decided to tell him the truth. "Exactly what it sounds like Travis. My parents may have been big shots in the business world but they were more well-known among the dealers and junkies because of their preferred method of payment, namely passing around their only son like a party favor." Wes was almost whispering by the end of his statement and Dr. Ryan had to lean forward to hear him and tried her best to hold back a gasp of shock.

Wes heard her small intake of breath and with tears in his eyes stood and walked out of the room. As what he said sunk in the men looked horrified and the women shocked, Dakota even burst into tears. Travis sat, frozen, staring after his partner, after the man he loved, not knowing what to do.

Dr. Ryan stood and walked over to Travis and said, "Go talk to him. I think if you don't go after him he won't come back. No one wants that Travis." Travis nodded, grabbed his jacket and went after Wes.

Travis rushed to the parking lot and sighed with relief when he saw Wes' car still sitting there. He approached but didn't see Wes in the driver's seat. Travis slowly moved around to the driver's side of the car and his heart broke when he was his partner curled up in a ball next to the front wheel crying. He had never seen Wes look so broken and vulnerable, Wes was always put-together and stubborn, a little obsessive compulsive, but he was always _always_ strong. Wes was not the man he saw before him.

Travis had come across enough abused children in foster care to know Wes needed to know he was there before he got close. "Wes, man it's me. You want to talk about it?" Travis asked quietly.

Wes raised his head slightly and made eye contact with Travis before lowering his head and mumbling into his raised knees. Travis sat beside him and leaned in close to hear Wes saying, "…four, goddamit. I was only four."

Travis throat constricted and he asked, "You were only four when what Wes? What happened?" Travis closed his eyes dreading the answer that was coming.

"The first time I was ra… God Trav, I lost my virginity when I was four." Wes said between sobs.

Tears welled up in Travis' eyes at his partner's admission. He knew they needed to be someplace more private for this conversation so he gently laid a hand on Wes' shoulder. A tear fell down his face as he saw his partner flinch at the contact. "Wes we need to do this somewhere private, you don't want the world to see you crying now do ya buddy?" Travis said gently and Wes shook his head.

Travis grabbed the keys from Wes' hand and unlocked the door then guided his partner to the passenger door before getting in the driver's seat and driving to his apartment, he didn't think Wes would appreciate Travis dragging him through a crowded hotel lobby. They quickly arrived at his apartment and by that time Wes had seemed to run out of tears. They made their way to Travis' apartment and once in he set Wes on the couch.

"It was my parents the first time, both of them." Wes said breaking the silence. Travis winced and sat down next to Wes as he continued. "They never hit me, didn't want to damage the product. Didn't stop them from catering to some of the sicker perverts though."

Travis knew that this was something Wes had to do, no matter how much it hurt.

"You know, I remember every single time. I lost count of how many times and a few of them bleed together, but I remember every single time. Not the faces though, never the faces, but the hands, those I remember. Still feel them sometimes too. God how messed up is that." Wes said pausing to turn and look at Travis. Wes' next question came out as a whisper, "Do you hate me?"

Travis knew exactly what Wes was thinking having seen it so many times but the question still stunned him. "God no Wes. Don't ever think that. You're my partner, I could never hate you. I, I love you Wes."

Wes laughed a horrible laugh Travis never wanted to hear again. "How could you love me? Alex doesn't even love me and I never told her how disgusting I was."

Travis suppressed the urge to slap Wes for even thinking that about himself. "Wes you are not disgusting. Your parents are disgusting; the people who did that to you are disgusting. Not you, never you. And of course I love you, you are the most amazing man I have ever met and knowing that you went through that and you became the person you are makes me love you more."

"Really?" Wes asked hope filling his eyes and giving them life again.

Travis smiled, "Yes. God Wes you are the smartest man I know and even though you act like you don't care about anything or anyone, you have the biggest heart otherwise you wouldn't have become a cop after what happened. You are willing to make the hard decisions so others don't have to, I mean you shot Jason so I wouldn't have to and you risked your career to stop me from ruining my life. Not to mention you are beyond hot. How could I not love you?"

Travis slowly raised his hand to rest on Wes' cheek and leaned forward to press a kiss on Wes' lips. It was slow and sweet, the kind of kiss you read about in romance novels that you think couldn't possibly be real. Then Wes was kissing back and it was as if the whole world had stopped. Travis finally broke it off and leaned his forehead on Wes'. "You are still upset so why don't we go to sleep and we can talk in the morning. Come on you can have the bed." Travis led Wes over to the bathroom and handed him a pair of sweats and a t-shirt for him to change into.

Travis had just changed into his sweats when Wes came out and he couldn't help but admire the way Wes looked in his clothes. Wes noticed him staring and blushed which Travis thought was adorable. Wes grabbed the covers and was about to climb in when Travis turned to leave the room.

"Stay, please." Wes pleaded softly not wanting to be alone.

Travis smiled and turned back around and joined Wes. Travis could tell Wes was almost asleep already but he wasn't very tired so he decided to think for a while. He was thinking about the kiss earlier when suddenly he felt a weight on his shoulder. He looked down to see the top of a very blonde head resting on his shoulder. Travis wrapped his arm around Wes' shoulders and rested his chin on the top of the blonde head and smiled.

They woke up the next morning in the same position and since it was their day off neither had to move so they lay there like that for a while. Finally Wes decided to make some breakfast and got up. "Where you going?" Travis asked sleepily. Wes smiled and said, "Breakfast."

Travis bolted up and immediately asked, "Are you cooking?" Wes answered with a nod and walked off to the kitchen. Travis knew Wes was a good cook and couldn't wait to eat whatever he made.

An hour later Travis grinned happily as he ate what he thought were the best waffles he had ever tasted and had said so several times already. Wes blushed as Travis again complemented his cooking and Travis smiled even wider loving the way Wes looked when he blushed.

When they finally finished eating they went over to the couch and Travis decided it was time to discuss where things were going between them. "Wes, what I said last night, I meant it and if you feel the same I was kind of hoping that we could try it and see how it goes."

"I don't want to try anything Trav I want to do this full on. I love you and if all you can do is try then I can't do it. I can't live with the possibility that you are going to get tired of trying the second we have sex and I'll be added to your list of conquests and cast aside." Wes said determinedly.

Travis smiled, "Oh Wes I could never do that to you. All those women are nothing compared to you. I was only with most of them because I thought I couldn't have you. I want you and only you."

Travis leaned over and kissed Wes. It was more aggressive and Wes' lips parted with a gasp. Travis took the opportunity to slip his tongue into Wes' mouth. Soon their tongues were battling for dominance but Travis was surprised that Wes seemed to be letting him win. Travis leaned over closer to Wes and soon he was lying on top of Wes. Wes' hand snaked up, one landing on the back of Travis' neck the other circling his waist.

Travis' hands moved under the soft cotton fabric of the borrowed shirt that Wes was wearing. His hands immediately started exploring, running across Wes' chest and down his back. Travis got up and took Wes' hand, "You sure you want to do this?" Wes nodded and Travis led him back to the bedroom.

As soon as the door closed Travis slammed Wes against it and resumed kissing him. They parted long enough for shirts to come off and for Travis to quickly admire Wes' physique then suddenly Wes was pushing Travis and they were on the bed.

Travis flipped their positions and he was on top again bringing a knee in-between Wes' legs. Wes arched up into him and moaned into the kiss. Travis couldn't help thinking it was the most delicious sound he had ever heard and looked forward to getting Wes to make it the rest of the day.

It was several days later and Wes and Travis were standing outside the dance studio where they do therapy. As Travis looked in the small window in the door he saw that the other couples were already there. He looked at their watch to make sure they weren't late then turned to Wes.

"Are you sure that you want to go in there? After what happened last time no one expects you to come back right away. You can wait in the car if you want." Travis said quietly.

Wes grabbed his hand and with a smile opened the door. They walked in still holding hands and the moment Dakota spotted them she squealed in excitement. Everyone tuned to see the source of Dakota's merriment and smiled when they saw the two men holding hands.

Congratulations were given from some of the members and Dakota smiled and said, "I knew it, I just knew it! You two are so adorable together!"

Travis was glad that no one brought up what happened at the last meeting and Wes was just happy that no one treated him like he was made of glass.

Dr. Ryan welcomed them back and said, "Well boys, now it seems you have no excuses to be exempt from any exercises or homework. I expect you to fully participate in every activity from now on." Travis and Wes groaned at the realization and the rest of the group laughed as they started session.


End file.
